Authored by: Sheikh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani (Hafidhahullah)
Question:
Is wudu valid if nail polish is applied to the nails?
Answer:
In the Quran, regarding wudu, Allah Almighty says:
"O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your hands."
(Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:6)
In this verse, it is commanded to wash the face and hands. Washing these parts is obligatory in wudu. If nail polish is applied, the nails cannot be washed properly, which invalidates the wudu. During wudu, it is essential that water reaches all parts of the body that are required to be washed, including between the fingers and toes.
There is a narration from Abdullah bin Umar (رضي الله عنهما) where the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) found some people performing wudu during a journey. They were lightly washing their feet, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said loudly:
"Woe to the heels from the fire."
(Bukhari, Book of Knowledge, Chapter: Raising the Voice in Conveying Knowledge: 60)
Similarly, in Sahih Bukhari under the chapter "Washing of the Heels," it is mentioned that Ibn Sirin (a Tabi'i) would wash the area under his ring during wudu to ensure that water reached that spot. This emphasizes that no part of the body that must be washed in wudu should remain dry.
When nail polish is applied, it forms a layer over the nails, preventing water from reaching the nails. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the nail polish before performing wudu to ensure that the water reaches all parts of the hands and feet. If the nail polish remains on the nails, the wudu will not be valid.
Question:
Is wudu valid if nail polish is applied to the nails?
Answer:
In the Quran, regarding wudu, Allah Almighty says:
"O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your hands."
(Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:6)
In this verse, it is commanded to wash the face and hands. Washing these parts is obligatory in wudu. If nail polish is applied, the nails cannot be washed properly, which invalidates the wudu. During wudu, it is essential that water reaches all parts of the body that are required to be washed, including between the fingers and toes.
There is a narration from Abdullah bin Umar (رضي الله عنهما) where the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) found some people performing wudu during a journey. They were lightly washing their feet, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said loudly:
"Woe to the heels from the fire."
(Bukhari, Book of Knowledge, Chapter: Raising the Voice in Conveying Knowledge: 60)
Similarly, in Sahih Bukhari under the chapter "Washing of the Heels," it is mentioned that Ibn Sirin (a Tabi'i) would wash the area under his ring during wudu to ensure that water reached that spot. This emphasizes that no part of the body that must be washed in wudu should remain dry.
When nail polish is applied, it forms a layer over the nails, preventing water from reaching the nails. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the nail polish before performing wudu to ensure that the water reaches all parts of the hands and feet. If the nail polish remains on the nails, the wudu will not be valid.
